Foot pad



Oct. 20, 1936.

FOOTPAD Filed July 19, 1954 w. P. KOPPE Y 2,057,722l

Patented oet. 2o, 1936 PArtm1` orner.

FOOT PAD William P. Koppe, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Scholl Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application July 19, 1934, Serial No. '735,988

1 Claim.

My invention relates to foot pads, and is concerned more particularly with the devising of a pad adapted for the protection and treatment of sensitive places on the human foot, such as 5 corns, callouses, and chafed areas, and which is arranged to facilitate its application to divers places on the foot.

Pads which are customarily used to protect sore or tender spots on the toes or feet are generally composed of superposed layers adhesively united together and with the under surface of the lower layer having a coating of adhesive material to facilitate the xation of the pads on the skin. These pads are usually cut with circular or elliptical edges and are manufactured in more or less standard sizes. Because of their shape and size, the application of these pads is restricted to Very definite locations on the foot and, in general, may be attached only to a part which presents a surface that the pad can be rmly adhered to without buckling or distortion. Moreover, in the type of pad to which the present invention more particularly relates, namely, one provided with an attaching, adhesive strip which is wound around a toe, for example, for the purpose of retaining the pad in position, the relation of the strip to the pad is such that this condition cannot always be assured. When the area to be treated is the 3o upper side of a toe joint, for example, the strip is initially adhered to the creased skin on the under side of a joint, but the flexing of the toe during walking causes the strip to buckle and fold to such an extent that the intensity of its adherence to the skin is materially lessened.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to provide a foot pad having an adhesive, attaching strip so related thereto that the pad may be affixed to a toe joint with the strip adhered to skin portions that are substantially unaii'ected by any flexing of the toe.

'Ihese and further objects of my invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,

and the novel means by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a plan view of my improved pad showing a suggested arrangement of the attaching strip.

Fig. 2 shows the pad illustrated in Fig. 1 applied to the top of a toe joint, the toe being flexed to indicate the freedom of the attaching strip from buckling.

Fig. 3 is a view comparable to Fig. 2, but showing the present type of corn pad and its attaching strip and the buckling to which the latter is subjected when the toe is flexed.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates the foot pad of customary construction and which may be composed of a suitable number of adhesive layers or plies, one of which may be provided with a layer of cushioning materials, such as felt, and the like. The precise construc- 10 tion of the pad IB forms no part of the present invention, which relates more particularly to the disposition and arrangement of an attaching strip II.

This strip is formed of adhesive material and l5 possesses the generally elongated shape shown in Fig. 1. An intermediate portion I2 thereof is slightly enlarged in order to form a rm union with one side of the pad I0 and extending in opposite directions from the portion I2 are strip 2G portions I3 and I4, which are angularly disposed relative to each other, generally in the manner indicated in Fig. l. The strip portion I4 is generally made longer than the strip I3, since it is intended to be wound around a toe, for example, 25 although it will be understood that the length of the strip portions is a matter of choice.

By relating the portions I3 and I4 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, it is possible to mount the pad Ill on the upper side of a toe joint, for exam- 30 ple, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and then wind the strip portion I4 around the toe in contact with the comparatively smooth skin portion I5 of the toe between the joints, thereby enabling the portion I4 to clear the crease I6 immediately below 35 the joint. Accordingly, it is possible to ex the toe when walking without subjecting the portion I4 to the distortion or folding, indicated by the numeral Il in Fig. 3, which illustrates the standard type of attaching strip now in common use, 40 and in which the strip portions are substantially aligned with each other.

The more generic aspects of my invention contemplate a shaping of the attaching strip II so that its extending portions are generally in mis- 45 alignment, whereby it is possible for that strip portion which is wound around the toe to adhere to a portion of the toe which is substantially unaffected during walking, that is, to a skin portion which maintains a substantially smooth surface, 50 notwithstanding that the toe may be flexed to a considerable degree. My improved foot pad is, therefore, characterized by an ability to be retained in place for a longer time than the type illustrated in Fig. 3, since the forces which tend 55 protective part and having suicient length to pass around and to be adhered to the smooth skin on the under side of the toe offset from the top of the joint and a relatively short strip united to the protective vpart and extending therefrom in a generally opposite direction to form an obtuse angle with the elongated strip and providing an attaching means characterized by a single thickness of material and substantially free from Wrinkles.

WILLIAM P. KOPPE. 

